I should have abandoned my overtake, but I didn't

[thomas-dash]

I was passing a semitruck and a Ford F-150 in a section of the road that temporarily had a lane for passing. There was an arrow indicating the lane was about to end when I almost got past the semi. I should have backed off and abandoned my overtake, but I knew I had enough room to pass the F-150 as well before the lane ended. However, I didn't expect the F-150 to merge into my lane so early. I'm not sure if the F-150 driver did it intentionally or just didn't check their side mirrors.

I could have merged between the F-150 and the semi, but I didn't like that option too much. I didn't want to go back behind the semi because it had already kicked up a rock and chipped my windshield a few minutes prior. In hindsight the best thing to do would have been to back off when the first arrow appeared on the pavement and try to pass again in the next section of the road with a passing lane.

 

[Nigel]

I should have abandoned my overtake, but I didn't​

I am not from the USA, so don't know the rules there, but, my analysis:

1. I don't see any sign of the merger before you overtook the first vehicle, so starting the overtake seems reasonable.
2. There wasn't a lot of space between the other two vehicles, but there was still a fair amount of space before the end of the dual lanes even after you had passed the second vehicle, so continuing seems reasonable.
3. The merge arrows were all in their lane, so they had to merge safely into the traffic in your lane, so the second vehicle moving across unsafely was their fault, not yours.
4. This seems a stupid road layout, much better for the faster traffic to merge into the slower traffic, since the faster traffic can do it looking forward, so have a much better view than the slower traffic would and can plan to do it safely. While in this case the slower traffic needed to merge using their mirrors, so they are very likely to miss people who are in their blind spots at the times they look, especially when they are large vehicles having to merge into small vehicles as will normally be the case. Also, if a change of speed is required, most vehicles can decelerate much faster than accelerate, so fast moving traffic slowing to merge is far preferable for safety.
5. Both lanes need some warning of the merge, but I don't see any.

So I see this mainly as a failure of the road designers, and partly a failure of the pickup truck driver to merge safely. I don't see that you got it wrong.

But I know in the USA you can overtake in either lane, so either lane may be the faster, so maybe none of that analysis is correct!

 

[Dashmellow]

But I know in the USA you can overtake in either lane, so either lane may be the faster,

As usual you seem to have some misconceptions about how things work in the USA.

Each state has somewhat different laws about lane discipline but the general rule is that you are only allowed to pass on the left. Slower traffic generally must keep to the right.

I don't think the road layout is "stupid" as there are indeed some scenarios where two lanes must merge left into a single lane but I think the signage warning of the upcoming lane merge in the video is too small and too close to the point of merger so there appears to not be much time to react.

There is a somewhat similar situation in nearby New Hampshire I'm very familiar with where traffic is heading up a steep mountain with rocky outcrops. When you finally get to the summit of the mountain the highway suddenly merges left into one lane not unlike in the above video, however there is plenty of larger signage and better road markings long before you get to the point of the merge so that drivers can better anticipate the upcoming lane squeeze. As always, if traffic is heavy some drivers accelerating hard to get up the mountain will try to get to be the first into the bottleneck before the two lanes become one and head down the other side of the mountain, so that is often an issue but common sense usually prevails. The lane merge into single file at the top of the mountain seems intentionally designed to slow everyone down and prevent any overtaking because the route down the mountain is so steep. The challenge then becomes keeping your speed under control until you get to the bottom where the road levels out and opens up to two lanes again.

 

[Deleted member 64174]

Merge lanes are quite common in Virginia, especially so in areas that are hilly, on roads where that lanes go from rural two lane same direction highway to one lane and, where in areas where one lane travel both directions, opens up a short left lane (once the median) to permit passing slow vehicles. Most are adequately marked and give you plenty of time. In a few cases some merge lanes end quicker than expected or nearly at a curve and quick drop in posted speed. Still, we all manage for the most.

Here, you cannot block the left lane or drive slow in the left lane, as well, you must give up or cede the left lane if someone is behind you and wants to pass. Even if you are doing the posted speed limit you must give up the left lane and move to the right lane. It is up to the State Police to deal with someone speeding, not the car in front, they are expected by law to give up the left lane. Virginia State Police have written a large number of tickets for failure to cede the left lane. Still, I see hammer heads still refusing to give up the left lane and honestly, there is no demographic about who is the worse, that I have seen. Male, female, young, old, car type, etc., just can't blame one type of person at all.

 

[Nigel]

So if you want to go in the left lane, then you must be above the speed limit?

 

[Dashmellow]

So if you want to go in the left lane, then you must be above the speed limit?

No Einstein. If a vehicle in front of you in the right lane is moving slower than the posted speed limit, you can move into the left lane where you can travel at the posted speed limit.

In most states you could either stay in the left lane or move back into the right lane in front of the slower vehicle, all without exceeding the speed limit.

 

[Deleted member 64174]

So if you want to go in the left lane, then you must be above the speed limit?

In the U.S. there are minimal and maximum speed limits. It may be a range of 45 mph / 72 kmh to perhaps 55 mph / 88 kmh. Depends on the road, the environment and the State. We get these clowns that on a posted 70 mph / 112 kmh interstate they will do 55 mph / 88 kmh. They are doing a legal speed but they are impeding the flow of traffic. A cop can and do write tickets for impeding the flow of traffic. The car doing 55 mph in the left lane is expected to accelerate to a point where they can move to the right lane or, if there is an available opening to move to the right lane then.

It becomes a sticky matter if the rear car is wanting to speed. The lead car is often arrogant and will not cede the lane even if there is no traffic in the right lane. Egos get involved for sure. I have seen a slow car in the left lane, no traffic in the right lane and the gaining car won't make a lane change to the right lane and then back to the left lane. Actually, it is illegal to do that in most cases, pass in the right lane. So the trailing car is more "legal" than the lead car. Often the lead car will get a case of the red azz and not cede the lane. If a cop is watching, that lead car will get the ticket, not the trailing car. Should the lead car speed up? Yeah, probably should if there is no right lane opeing at the point of travel, usually it only necessary for 3 or 4 car lengths to be able to get to the right lane. Most cops are fairly aware and will let a lot of that slide.

It is all about being a courteous driver and I am afraid that courtesy is often lacking.

 

[Nigel]

View attachment 62830


No Einstein. If a vehicle in front of you in the right lane is moving slower than the posted speed limit, you can move into the left lane where you can travel at the posted speed limit.

Ahh, so you can use the left lane at any time, but everyone using it must be traveling at maximum speed, otherwise they are in the wrong lane. I guess that makes some sense!

 

[thomas-dash]

I don't see that you got it wrong.

I think I did the best I could do once I was in the situation, but to avoid the situation completely it would have been better if I dropped back behind the semi once the first merge arrow appeared. If there happened to be a car in the left opposing lane of traffic, then I wouldn't have any place to go and there would have been a far greater risk of collision between my car and the F-150.

Both lanes need some warning of the merge, but I don't see any

I thought this was weird as normally there is a sign that gives you a heads up that the passing lane is ending. I went and looked at it on Google Maps and the semi was blocking my view of the sign:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

On this particular road there are signs posted stating "Left Lane for Passing Only" which means if you're not actively passing a vehicle, then you should be in the right lane no matter what speed you're going. Also, Texas allows you to pass on the right:

https://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/getForm.ashx?id=DL-7.pdf (page 39)

Passing on the Right
In Texas, you can pass on the right only when conditions permit you to do so safely.
1. The road is clear of parked vehicles or other lane obstructions and is wide enough for two or more lanes in each direction.
2. You are on a one-way road.
3. You may pass on a paved shoulder when the vehicle you are passing is slowing or stopped on the main traveled portion of the
highway, disabled, or preparing to make a left turn.
Do not pass on the right by driving off the paved portion of the highway.

 

[Dashmellow]

Ahh, so you can use the left lane at any time, but everyone using it must be traveling at maximum speed, otherwise they are in the wrong lane. I guess that makes some sense!

Yes. If you review the legend on the map you'll see that's what each state's statutes, despite their differences, are saying. The idea is to keep traffic flowing while giving some vehicles the ability to travel below the speed limit if necessary (up to a point).

The reason each state has varying laws about lane discipline is often due to the environment. For example, some states have vast distances where there are nothing but wide open perfectly straight interstate highways and few if any speed limits or vehicles for that matter, yet there will be slower traffic such as agricultural equipment or local traffic and these remain in the right hand lane while faster traffic remains in the left hand high speed lane (or lanes in some cases).

We see that kind of thing often in Vermont where you might be traveling at full speed on the interstate highway when you'll come across say a pick-up truck pulling a trailer full of cargo or a huge logging truck loaded with timber traveling slower in the right hand lane. Sometimes it's just some random person, often an older driver just kind of puttering along in the right hand lane at perhaps 10 miles per hour slower than all the other vehicles.

 

[Dashmellow]

the semi was blocking my view of the sign

I thought that might be the case, although here in the scenario I described going over the mountain there are about 4 or 5 signs warning of the upcoming lane merger going back about a half a mile before you get there.

 

[kamkar]

I like the orange states.
Really as long as you keep up to speed you can drive where you like, but i will prefer if you overtake on the left side.
I do however have enough imagination to imagine that with 4 or more lanes, this might be unsustainable.
Here you can not go over the limit to overtake, so if traffic in the right lane do the limit legally you are stuck and as you must keep right,,,,,, well then the line of cars in the right lane just get longer and you get a empty L hand side lane.
But of course this in general are a disregarded law.

Most / many Danish drivers are already engaged in one big overtake when they drive, i know these fools CUZ i use to be one of those.

On my way home yesterday i had a car behind me, and it was easy to see my pressene there was unwanted, so after a few miles the guy ( driving a newer Audi SUV ) passed me, only to less than 1/4 mile further down the road brake and turn Right.
As this was going on i had my own issues with the car in front of me, not that it did not keep up to speed, it did, but for every little bend in the road the brake light came on ( no decrease in speed ) and on every downhill streach of road the brake light also came on, again no decrease in speed CUZ i was rolling in #5 gear behind them and of course not going near the brake pedal.